


code sea

by sunnyjeno



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, Home, Other, Teacher Kun, he teaches at a kinder, the other members make appearances - Freeform, the sweetest teacher ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 18:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16164452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnyjeno/pseuds/sunnyjeno
Summary: Kun comes home looking less than happy, Renjun and Chenle deploy the Kun protection squad.prompt from: @/chensungsankle, I'm sorry I couldn't include as much cuddling:(TW: Mentions of bullying.





	code sea

Sometimes getting home is tiring. Sometimes, even if he doesn’t want to, Kun gets home with a frown on his face, and his suitcase full of papers feels heavy, much too heavy. Those days he likes to grab a cup of hot chocolate from the cafe near the school (which granted, isn’t the best he has tried, but it is comforting,) and take a few seconds to reconsider the way he is feeling and to find things to be thankful for that day, so that when he gets home, the frown is not as deep as it could be.

 

Sometimes.

 

And then there’s days like this one. Where something goes horribly, horribly wrong and no amount of hot chocolate and soft, mellow jazz can tone down his frown. On days like this, Kun feels exhausted, both emotionally and physically, so he doesn’t cook dinner, and decides that his night shower can wait for the next morning. On days like this, his suitcase is abandoned by the front door, and the papers with golden stars sticked to them stay there, in the somber depths of the black fabric; instead of getting pinned to his cork board. 

 

On days like this, Renjun sits on the couch with Chenle, watching reruns of some silly cartoon neither of them particularly like, and they watch as Kun sinks into sadness. It’s not that they haven’t tried, no. When the rare day shows up, they orbit towards their legal tutor, and in a flurry of questions and exclamations, try to cheer him up.

 

_ Kun, today Johnny called when you weren’t home, he said he missed you and invited us to a barbecue at his house! _

 

_ Kun, remember that science test you were helping me study for? I got perfect marks and my teacher congratulated me! _

 

_ Kun, remember  that magician’s show you told us about last month? Could we go? _

 

And usually it works.

 

So when, after pestering their tutor with questions and good news, Kun just whispers a “I’m going to bed, good night boys. Don’t forget to ready your backpacks for tomorrow.” before walking away, both teens know something is wrong. Renjun is assigned the task to go check on Kun (because in Chenle’s words, he’s more mature and has been with him longer), while Chenle phones the other members of the Kun protection squad (which is technically just the other minors and Mark, but they’ve all declared that they’ve known Kun for less than five months but if anything happened to him they would destroy whoever hurt him).

 

Jisung is the first to pick up, which is little surprise, considering he is constantly on his phone and the groupchat.

 

“Welcome to McDonalds, this is Jisung, are you ready to order?”

 

“Bold of you to think Maccies would hire you. Anyways, I’m calling a code sea.”

 

“Code sea?” There’s shuffling in the other line, and the faint sound of Taeyong’s voice in the background. “We are on our way, Taeyong said he texted Jaehyun and Johnny so they’re on their way too.”

 

“Good, that’s good. I’ll see you in half an hour?”

 

“We’ll be there by 7:12 if Taeyong keeps speeding.” The phone makes a rough sound, and then Taeyong is on the line.

 

“I’m not speeding, but I’ll be there soon.”

 

Chenle makes two more phone calls, pulls out their movie collection, and sets a couple bags of snacks on the living room table, then he sits to wait.

 

\--

 

Renjun is careful when he opens the door, not very comfortable with the idea of invading Kun’s privacy. It’s the sniffling coming from some corner of the room that gets him, and he’s going in despite his reluctance. At first he’s silent, just watching as Kun sits in the chair of his wooden desk, below the board full of little kids’ drawings and letters. Only when Kun speaks up, fingers dabbing the inner corners of his eyes to keep the fresh tears from falling, does Renjun talk.

 

“Stop standing there in the corner, you might get confused with a ghost.”

 

“Did you get fired?”  _ Way to go, Renjun. Your tact is amazing. _

 

“What? No, oh lord no, that would be awful. And in the middle of the year, too. No, my evaluations have been great.” Kun smiles softly, but the smile drops quickly upon looking at the corkboard.

 

“Something happened with the kids?” Renjun is now sitting on the floor, playing with the pieces of fabric in the white rug.

 

“...One of them was being teased. Bullied, really. And I failed to notice before.”

 

Renjun’s heart drops when he hears that. He can only imagine the guilt his tutor is feeling.

 

“He had shown me his pencil case, a pink little thing with sunflowers that his mom made for him,” Kun smiles fondly at the image of the case, “I don’t know why it didn’t come to mind that the other kids would tease him about it.”

 

“You couldn’t have expected it… You talk about them all so positively, and none of them acted like brats. You couldn’t have known.”

 

“But I should have, it’s my job to watch over the kids.”

 

Renjun shakes his head, holding Kun’s dangling hand in support. “It’s not your job to educate them in values and ethics. You’re not their parents.”

 

“I’m their teacher though, and it was in my classroom. God, I can’t imagine, the times I was minutes left because of a meeting…”

 

“Are not your fault. You can’t control the length of the meetings.” Renjun bites his lip, considering if it’s appropriate to ask his next question. “Is he ok?”

 

“They broke the pencil case. He said I didn’t have to feel guilty about it, but I still told him I would fix it for him.” Kun shows Renjun his palm, where a sunflower zipper is held.

 

“And the other kids?”

 

“I called their parents about the situation.”

 

“Then you did everything you could do. Next time you won’t make the same mistake. I know you.”

 

“You’re right. I won’t allow it. I’ll give them a class about bullying and why it’s bad!” Kun is extending his arm to turn on his desktop when Renjun stops him.

 

“Maybe have dinner and relax first?” The doorbell chimes. “We’ve got visits.”

 

Kun nods a bit and stands up, Renjun following after him.

 

\--

 

“So you called the entire family to come here.” Kun is staring at Chenle, arms crossed and eyebrow arched as the younger smiles awkwardly.

 

“Technically I only called Jisung, Jeno and Hyuck. Everyone else found out somehow and gathered here.” Chenle shrugs, and Kun shakes his head with a laugh.

 

“I don’t know if I should put you on timeout or thank you.”

“I’d rather it be the second one,” Chenle suggests.

 

“Wouldn’t you like that.” Kun makes his way to the living room and throws himself on the couch, right between Ten and Sicheng. “So, what are we watching?”

 

“Now You See Me.” Ten answers, arms wrapping around Kun as he finds a comfortable position, and Sicheng takes the movement as an opportunity to rest his head on Kun’s lap.

 

“ _ Sweet. _ ” Kun grins, and once everyone is settled on a seat or the floor, presses play.

 

\--

 

Hours later, the younger ones have succumbed to sleep, and Kun is walking Ten to the door, the last one to leave after helping Kun clean up.

 

“Sorry for the intrusion, I know you had just gotten home from work.” Ten puts on his jacket, zipping it up to protect himself from the chilly wind.

 

“Nonsense,” Kun smiles, “You know you’re always welcome here. I should be apologizing for the sudden call instead. The kids become a worry bugs whenever I’m a little upset.”

 

“They love you a lot. Did you know they made a code book  _ and  _ a groupchat for the ‘Kun protection squad’?” Kun blinks and shakes his head.

 

“Well, now I do.”

 

“They called in a code sea today.” Ten smiles as he walks down the path to his car, Kun beside him.

 

“Sea?”

 

“For C. You know, cuddles.”

 

“I knew Sicheng was being more touchy than usual! No wonder.” 

 

Ten shakes his head with laughter, calling out a goodnight as he gets into the car.

 

\--

 

“So, code sea, huh?” Kun speaks over his tea, staring at Renjun and Chenle while they have breakfast.

 

“Uhhh… I just remembered Jeno told me to meet him earlier today so we could discuss the English homework!” Renjun shoves his last bites of pancake in his mouth and stands up,” Shee yr in the ifning Kun!” He downs his orange juice and almost sprints out the door.

 

“I- uh… Mark!” Chenle does the same thing, although his excuse is… precarious at best, but he adds a peck to Kun’s cheek before leaving. 

 

“You can run all you want but you still live here!” Kun calls out after them, then continues his breakfast.

 

Today will be one of those better days.


End file.
